Authoritarians

For this post let's reframe our questions. (The questions that were originally raised in this post)
This site gives you a better definition than I could for reframing.
Looking back at last week's post we see the questions really are:
Why are some people so easily led while others will do anything to be leaders.
Why do some people still believe things that are disproved by facts.
Why are some people so aggressive in the name of moral or political values or is it something else entirely?
Why do some people fear, in the extreme, change?
Why do some people fear those different from themselves?
Why racism? Why homophobic fears? Why fear other religions?

In these next posts, I want to give you some beginning information from two books. One is political while the other is more about the social behaviors and actions found in studies of authoritarians.

Here we need to define a few things:
Why the books Conservatives Without Conscience by John W. Dean and Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer. free here I chose to read the two books simultaneously as they are very interconnected. In an interview I saw on UCTV, John Dean talked about the studies on Authoritarianism and recommended the other book. His interest peaked my interest. Mostly however, I will be writing about The Authoritarians (Disclaimer: I am not necessarily a John Dean fan but find he can get my attention and I sometimes wondered about the reasons behind some of the chapters in Dr. Altemeyer's book. Guess I am not that easily led by “authorities.”)

Authoritarians Two kinds:
I had a hard time keeping my definitions of authoritarian out of my head at first.
My definitions were either about a form of government or a “bossy” person. But these are not quite appropriate.
Dr. Altemeyer explains that in his books on authoritarians he is mostly discussing extremely submissive “followers” of established authorities, “attacks others in their name, and is highly conventional.”
He lists 3 of the personality traits of the “followers”:

1)a high degree of submission to the established, legitimate, authorities in their society;
2)high levels of aggression in the name of their authorities; and
3)a high level of conventionalism.

(page 8)

Mr. Dean at one point describes authoritarianism as the behaviors and thinking of these personalities.

RWA Scale:
“The RWA scale is a personality test disguised as an attitude survey.”
the mid-point of the scale is 100. The higher the score the more the tendency to be an authoritarian follower.

Why the name “right-wing”:
The use of the word right as used here is “an adjective, right, lawful, proper, correct...”

Double Highs:
Social Dominators who also score high on the religion, fundamentalism, scale but the why is interesting. These people go to church more often than most but they go to “project a good image...”
and “It is more important to create a good image of yourself in the minds of others than to be actually be the person others think you are.”

Conservatives: Two kinds political and social: As Dr. Altemeyer explains you can have high RWA's even within the Communist party in a Communist country. Remember submission to “his” authorities and highly conventional. So keep in mind we are not always talking about political conservatives.
Though, if you will, take a look at the chart on page 203. I found it very enlightening and interesting.
I had forgotten about the “Southern Democrats”. Historically an interesting bunch.

I found so much about the people studied confusing-hard for me to get my head around all the seeming inconsistencies in logic as I call it but as pointed out in the book the compartmentalization of their ideas allows for some pretty interesting, conflicting, thoughts.

Now let's look for some answers to our questions. (I think we can actually lump our questions into fewer questions yet.)

1.Why are some people so easily led and hang on to false “facts”?
2.Why are some so aggressive...?
3.Why the prejudices?
4.Who are their authorities and why?


Question 1:

Dr. Altemeyer, as I do, doesn't get into the genetics of High RWA's but allows for it. He begins with parental guidance, then to “missed experiences”. They are not introduced to different groups and ideas.
“They got a “2 for 1 special deal on fear...they were raised by their parents to be afraid of others...”
They “traveled around on short leashes in relatively small, tight, safe circles all their lives.”
Their parents “try to send their kids to “safe” colleges.”

(Also remember the group thing, individuals into the group Venn diagram)

The compartmentalization of their ideas allow for holding conflicting ideas at the same time and can lead to confusing justifications for various actions and decisions.
The high RWA has not further developed or “thought through their ideas as much as most people have...”
In Chapter three How Authoritarian Followers Think, “...a high RWA can have all sorts of illogical, self-contradictory, and widely refuted ideas rattling around in various boxes in his brain and never notice it.”
Dr. Altemeyer gives the usual disclaimer so do we all have “inconsistencies in reasoning” then:
“...research reveals that authoritarian followers...exhibiting sloppy reasoning, highly compartmentalized beliefs, double standards, hypocrisy, self-blindness, a profound ethnocentrism, and ...a ferocious dogmatism (see definition 2) that makes it unlikely anyone could ever change their minds.

...they do not in general have a very critical outlook on anything unless the authorities in their lives have condemned it for them.”

Thus they are easily led and easily become apprehensive, or fearful.

What about hanging on to false “facts”:
One example given concerns the Iraq war. The compartmental mind had no trouble in “believing that America stands for international cooperation and the peaceful resolution of conflict on one hand, while on the other hand insisting it has the “right” to attack whomever it wants...”

After all, in the ethnocentric mind “We are the Good Guys and our opponents are abominations”...

Will some of these people ever change their minds? Dr. Altemeyer believes some will by revising their personal histories. Others? “petrified by their dogmatism” never. (99)


I have given you a only a few of the explanations found in the book The Authoritarians for the first question. Partly because there is so much information and partly because I have a hard time compartmentalizing. I see so much about the high RWA conflicting and yet interconnected.

But there we have the beginnings of my studies.

I hope you learned something as I did and still do from this book.

Next post will look at the Dr. Altemeyer's book for some insight into aggression and if I can keep more focused, so much information, hopefully question 3.

Blogs of Old and Books of Today

While doing further research on another brilliant idea I have, I thought I would go ahead and post this on a book I found.


The other day I found a beautifully bound book Every=Day Thoughts by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, W.B. Conkey Company, Chicago; 1901.

When I removed it from the shelf at our local used book store, I had no idea who Ella W. Wilcox was. The reason I took it from the shelf was the binding. Then I took a further look, a glance at a page or two or more. I had a hard time stopping.
It occurred to me it was a “blog” of 104 “posts” from 1901.

Of course upon further investigation at the computer, I learned about Mrs. Wilcox. She was a poet, everyday man's poetry and she was a philosopher. Actually she was a follower of theosophy. That is a mixture of religion and philosophy.
In her poem “Solitude” she wrote the famous line” laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone”. (As you read the wikipedia biography you will find a mention of Sinclair Lewis and Babbitt. Apparently Mr. Lewis did not consider Mrs. Wilcox a great literary genius.)

Many of the “posts” contained in the book are short and to the point. Most are just 2 or 3 short pages.
The author covers many subjects. Most of her writings in this book are in answer to questions posed by her followers, readers. She uses her poetry as a means in some chapters.

Though she considers herself to be a “religious” person, she writes about “Our Empty Churches” (Chapter LX) in response to a young woman

“...telling us that New Yorkers are pagans, because sixty-five percent of us do not go to church.” She answers with some of her theosophy answers. “Every day I am newly surprised to find people I had supposed to be given over to creeds, or to agnosticism, sweeping into line with the great army of devout and forceful thinkers in this new school of theology.”(p. 200)

I put the previous paragraph in here to get your attention. Now that I have it. Here is another “Blog of Old” excerpt in which the Mrs Wilcox gives advice to someone seeking guidance about his unfaithful wife:

“It is one of life's terrible jests, when a man with so much soul and heart and feeling, is mated with a frivolous and worthless woman-- a woman so devoid of the power of appreciation of God's greatest blessings, that she can give up such a love for the cheap pleasures of a third-class theatrical career.”(p. 114)

She writes about “love affairs”. She offers advice to mothers, wives, and husbands on things such money matters, disrespectful children. She writes in one chapter of the need of moderation between seeking poverty or seeking extreme wealth. The author devotes one “Blog post” is on the care of animals. Lest you be misled by the quotation above she is very much for women earning their own way when they have talent.

In all her posts Mrs. Wilcox preaches patience with the changing world. She encourages cleanliness, smiles, and forgiveness. And, thus far in reading from this “blog of old”, I find only one mention of reincarnation. I have not read it all-I hesitate to do so. This book is old and even reading it causes it problems. So I now have to figure out how to keep it in good shape and yet read from it.

In another book written by Mrs. Wilcox, poetry, you will find beautiful, really, “photographic life studies”. Maurine is the title.
hereis the Google Books link.

If you can find some of her “columns”, you will probably find as I have she is a nice person with a “religion” that is quite different. What an interesting person she must have been.

I enjoy these “old blogs” we sometimes call books. But in particular, this book by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is so much like blog posts it is eerie. It also reminds me of some of the books of today-put together and published collections of columns of so-called pundits, or …

The first time I bought a “book” by a present-day columnist, I was disappointed to find it was really nothing but a compendium of columns they had written. I thought I was going to get more of the reasons the columnist writes what he or she writes. I know they are really great writers but hey books are not cheap these days so at least warn me. ( I know I should have checked it out better before I paid good money for it-I was in a hurry.)

Yet, I bought the old one and was thrilled. So, I guess if I can enjoy the “Blogs of Old” I should be more open about the “Books of Today.” After all they are both suited to those of us with short attention spans.

Circles of Confusion

I purposely will not write on the State of the Union address for a while. It is being hashed and re-hashed. I want to listen to it and check out all the "analysis", the many sides, before I even think about writing here. I will wait until the dust settles then maybe I will but, maybe there will be nothing left for me to think about. There are so many great thinkers I may not need to think. (I am just kidding but many do let others tell them what to think.) So here is a post on other things.

After watching Frontline on PBS the other evening I couldn't help myself I had lots of "thoughts" I just needed to put down before I forget them. (Nope I am not just letting them think for me but it was a pretty good reference point.)

First a few definitions regarding "loan sharks", credit, and debt. I do not reference Wikipedia here as we are told it is a liberal reference. (Baloney but I don't want to get stuck in the liberal-or-conservative reference game.)

http://www.answers.com/topic/loan-shark

2 definitions of loan shark:

n. Informal
One who lends money at exorbitant interest rates, especially one financed and supported by an organized crime network.

From the Banking Dictionary: Loan Shark

Lender, other than a regulated financial institution, who makes a business of lending money at rates above legally permitted interest rates. For example, a $5 loan on Monday to be repaid Friday for $6-an annual percentage rate of 1040%, not including interest compounding. Loan-sharking was a pervasive activity through much of the nineteenth century, leading to the formation of cooperative associations, such as mutual savings banks and credit unions, to arrange small loans at reasonable interest rates. State small loan laws generally prohibit loan-sharking, although state laws differ on what is, or is not, an excessive rate of interest.

Now the Law Encyclopedia:

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.
A person who lends money in exchange for its repayment at an interest rate that exceeds the percentage approved by law and who uses intimidating methods or threats of force in order to obtain repayment.
In most jurisdictions usury laws regulate the charging of interest rates. Loan sharking violates these laws, and in many states it is punishable as a criminal offense. The usual penalty imposed is a fine, imprisonment or both.
(My italics above.)

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/usury

Definition of Usury:
1. The practice of lending money and charging the borrower interest, especially at an exorbitant or illegally high rate.
2. An excessive or illegally high rate of interest charged on borrowed money.
3.Archaic Interest charged or paid on a loan


Now here is a link to the whole Frontline program:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/creditcards/?utm_campaign=homepage&utm_medium=proglist&utm_source=proglist
full

This link is where you can find text or video of the Treasury Secretary Geithner interview for the Frontline program last night.

I was surprised that Sec. Geithner made sense to me in many places. (I had listened to the “one of them” drumbeat and being a lefty I considered that the beaters may know something.) But, I was also struck when he said we can't cap interest rates because some people now need credit more than before. Check out thisinterview with Nessa Feddis. She is a senior counsel and V.P. Of the American Bankers Association.
Ms. Feddis makes almost the same statement Sec. Geithner did in her interview. Or for a interviews on capping interest rates go here.
So, is he, Sec Geithner falling for the if you cap interest we can't make loans or do they all really believe it. Excuse me. I want to yell, if you don't make loans I, the taxpayer, will not make you a loan and will “foreclose” on any loans you already got.

I know it wasn't really a loan. Why, I actually own stock in many financial institutions. Or, I know this is not the way to look at it all. The whole economy could have, I think still could, collapse. I know the terrible “recession” is over. Well, except for many of the real people that walk around or sleep on main street.

This credit fiasco reminds me of the Nation borrowing so much. It is particularly interesting to look at the borrowing from China. We, the tax-payer, borrowed money from China. At the same time we were helping shut down manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by buying Chinese products. So we spent our money to help end US jobs. All the while borrowing the money from the very source of cheap goods made by people who get very little of any of the money we spent.

Or put in another way the nation spent our way further into debt by spending, spending, spending or maybe buying, buying, buying; and borrowing, borrowing, borrowing so we could end much of the manufacturing in the U.S. (we won't even mention the IOU s sitting in the SS files. G.W. Had this one right, those are pieces of paper but guess what they are coming due. So I guess we borrow that too. I'll bet this surprises you I give G.W. Credit for getting something right? Now, does this mean that we senior citizens weren't the ones cannibalizing our children and grandchildren? Yes and No. After all ignorance is bliss. So is playing ignorant.)

I hope that you get the picture it is hard to write a circle or a spiral.

But let me get back to credit and debt:
It is easy to speculate that the population as a whole might see their government cycle of spend and borrow as another justification for their own personal cycle of buy and borrow. I think I remember, it seems so long ago, a budget surplus-don't I remember that or is my mind completely gone? Did we all follow that example? Nope.
gov. savings chart. Now I do realize that other things go along with less saving, or maybe cause it, such as flat wages or no wages. Of course then there is the cost of drugs, “health care” if you will. Add to that the ads for “stuff” and the ads for cheap credit and you have contributed to the downward slope of personal savings.

As to the personal debt problem, we were already using credit in all its forms to have our “Babbittry”* now. I use the term to designate the “stuff” that goes with the attitude. Why wait for that new TV?
Now add to the “instant gratification” attitude of the American Consumer a President of the U.S. telling us one answer to 9/ll was to “spend”, borrow to spend is what many did. We were so used to credit
and debt. So some people used that excuse to get more “stuff”, or a trip, or whatever they justified.

Where was the call to save, or to buy bonds, give your time, something other than spend your money. What money? Use your credit card or overdraft protection: it is just that easy. As the old ads used to say “Buy now pay later!”

So now there are many who cannot even pay the rent, electric bill, water bill, doctor's bill, and on and on, unless they get their over 400% loan until the paycheck or the income tax refund gets to them. And there are still those who get that loan to buy their toys, their Babbittry.*

Now instead of looking at our own failures many will find someone to blame. And are right to do so. Consumers have had lots of help getting into trouble.
There will always be loan sharks for those who need or want them. Though it is not like from the old movies, the feds. aren't going after these loan sharks. In fact after watching and re-watching the interviews, it almost looks as though some government officials either won't touch them because they agree with the the practices, or want to keep their previous and future jobs open.

So I am right where I was about health care in a previous blog. We are all somewhat guilty for the mess. We, meaning many consumers, the shark; the government; and many politicians.

Well, I guess this post will cause a ruckus. So be it.

As Artemus Ward said: "Let us all be happy and live within our means; even if we have to borrow the money to do it." www.famous-quotes.com



*You can find the book Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, 1922 on Google or you can buy it on AmazonIt is not a fun read in total, some descriptions of daily life are funny, but it is a worthwhile read. George F. Babbitt is a Realtor selling houses in the burbs around Zenith “for more than people can afford to pay.” (page 2) The book jumps right away into the love of gadgetry and newness, justifications, and “keeping up with the Jones” as well as mid-life crises.

Change George Babbitt's occupation to mortgage broker if you like or leave it Realtor depending on where you live and your state's licensing laws.



I give you this "lefty" quotation:

ETHICS -- LOBBYING FIRMS PREPARE TO OFFER JOBS TO RETIRING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: The last few months have been marked by a series of congressional retirements. To date, 19 members have decided that they will not be seeking reelection this November, including the recent retirement announcements of Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND). With all of these Capitol Hill veterans soon to be looking for new work, Roll Call reports that "law firms and lobbying shops are preparing for a flood of résumés from soon-to-be unemployed Members." With so many retirements already confirmed -- "and many more likely to come after Election Day -- K Street's top firms will have their pick of the litter." Since 2005, at least 195 members of Congress have crossed over to lobbying, according to Congressional Quarterly. Some of these former lawmakers were instrumental in lobbying against health care reform last year, as "three of every four major health-care firms have at least one former insider on their lobbying payrolls." "Depending on their committee assignments," retiring lawmakers could see "baseline offers as low as $250,000 for part-time gigs, all the way up to $1.25 million salary packages for former chairmen and party leaders." There is no indication, however, that any of the retiring lawmakers have already begun negotiating post-retirement employment. "Both Senators and House Members have to publicly disclose to the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House within three days of starting negotiations with the private sector. None of the retiring Members has made that move yet."

http://www.americanprogress.org/

Forget Congress for a Few Minutes, Read a Book

Suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

- Mark Twain


After listening to the House “debate”( right-that was a debate?) health care Saturday, I just want to run away. I will say here that the lone Republican to vote for the house bill was a surprise. Representative Cao voted for his constituents' needshttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/politics/09cao.html?hpw. One in how many?

But instead of thinking about the rest of the representatives, let us pretend our Congress has a collective brain-I know that is a real stretch. So let us pretend that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Well, no let us pretend we don't even have that fear to fear for a few minutes. (That stretch is not quite as large as the stretch about Congress having a brain.)


There is a little, but large in terms of information, book entitled: The “Have-More” Plan for A Little Land-A Lot of Living by Ed and Carolyn Robinson,Macmillan Company, NY, 1947.

My spouse and I have owned this book for years now. Every so many years after one of our many moves, we would drag it out and read from it. Though the book was written in in the mid-forties it is full of useful information.

The preface starts with a short rehash of the family of 200 years prior. Writing about the total self- reliance of family, here is a quotation from first paragraph of the preface:

There was no unemployment but no real security either. A drought, a flood, even a potato bug could mean ruin. Life was almost all work-men and women were old at thirty-five. Approximately one out of three infants died before the end of its first year.

(The “Have-More” Plan page ix)


(This chart is a good reference showing infant mortality since 1950. It is the one I found that didn't have a political bent. This chart shows 6.9 infant deaths, under 1 year, per thousand for all races.)

The author goes on: "In the past fifty years the completely self-reliant family has become rare indeed..."

And further the author writes about finding the happy medium between being totally self-reliant and totally dependent on others:

We believe such a man will fare better on the average over the years than the man who depends entirely either on himself or on other men for all the necessities of life.

Now part of what I love about this book is that some things don't really change at all.
These quotations below as found on page 85 are great examples:

Evidence is beginning to appear showing that soil and freshness all affect the mineral and vitamin content of the food we eat... Steam-table restaurant fare has a fraction of the value of properly home-cooked foods....
...Out at Ohio State, experiments show that about 43 per cent of the “fresh” vegetables sold in stores have lost the biggest part of their vitamin content.

The book is full of charts, illustrations, and pictures. There are quotations of letters the Robinson family received after the first publication. $50 From a Single Nut Tree is one such letter about the usefulness of suburban pecan trees in GA. (see page 124)

On page 105, Chapter 13 begins the information about berries and grapes. On that very page the mulberry is mentioned as one of the “something a little different” choices. How about that. But, what is a “youngberry”? (I found a definition ) a trailing bramble of the southwestern US that is a hybrid of a blackberry and dewberry with large sweet dark purple fruits.

Here is a suggested fruit tree “Simplified Pest Control”... “good sulphur-lead arsenate mixture” I don't know about you but I think that sounds a little on the WOW side of pest control-lead...! I don't like any pesticide but I sure don't want to mix my own. (page 123) On the same page-I do love this why-didn't-I-just-use-my-head idea: ...the fruit that falls before picking time can be saved if you put hay or straw beneath the trees to prevent bruising.”

Though around here, I would watch for insects and molds living in and under the hay or straw. Some may not be welcome depending on where your trees are located.

How about the section on “How Much Time Does a Cow Take?” found on page 213. On the following two pages are charts about the costs and the returns from your “Jersey Cow”. (I hope you don't have high cholesterol.) The Robinson's consumed and sold the dairy products from their cow. If you want to know for them “...Total expenses for the year that included her milking and dry period amounted to $158.07.”(215)

The last chapter in this wonderful book is Earning Money in the Country with the last section being called “Ribbon Cities”.

What is a “ribbon city”? ...By that I mean that stretching out from practically every city and town are roads where the traffic goes on all day”

page 314 (Note the all day).

A personal note here on the "ribbons". Where me and mine live now, the traffic on our ribbon has grown tremendously in the past few years. We were so spoiled by the “peace and quiet” after moving here from Atlanta 18 or so years ago we now sound like the old grumps we are. (Everything is relative.) Our dogs go crazy as the “city bicyclists” use our road now. “Why the traffic is so bad now it is unsafe to cross that road to the mailbox.” (It always was. We live at the top of an blind hill. When the wind blows hard, which it often does, you can't hear the traffic either. What does that tell you about the awful traffic now-a-days?)

Back to the book.

To the women readers, there is a “Letter to the Wives” from Carolyn Robinson found on page 11. Here are some sentences you might enjoy:

Out here on our wee farm my husband really needs me and I, in turn, could not get along without him.

(page 12) and on page 13,

“...One secret I have found is not trying to keep a spotless house-I have decided it's a waste of time....”

(She is assuming I keep a spotless house. I gave up years ago when “we” retired and our son came back. I still would like a spotless house if anyone wants to volunteer.)
A little further on the same page:...

”In fact, many duties are easier. Children require less attention and time while they are playing.”

That last part can be true but be careful if your “wee farm” is too close to the “ribbon” or you have a child that likes to roam far and wide in the blink of an eye. I taught mine how to pound and poke the trails in the wooded part of the hill with a walking stick so the snakes and other critters knew he was coming. “They don't want you any more than you want them.” I said. Turtles were fair game though when they came into the yard. Oh, but that is another tale.

So here you have it another book review of a great older book. I hope you can find a copy and read it for yourself even if you don't intend to have a “Have-More” Plan for A Little Land-A Lot of Living. Maybe you can find it through your library.


Now here is The Have-More Plan in today's world: Detroit



A couple of places you can purchase the book The "Have-More" Plan.

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/The-Have-More-Plan and http://www.amazon.com/Have-More-Plan-Ed-Robinson/dp/0882660241 Or Google it and you will find many places to purchase the book.

The picture is from my oil of our "wee farm" facing our "ribbon".

Some of the Blogs I Follow and Why.

Political blog posts at Southern Beale blog can be fun to read for some of us.
The last two concern local politicians and the Obama is out to get Fox News stuff.
Read them and have a little smile or maybe you will get angry.
Personally, I think we lefties should feel so sorry for Fox, poor things. Look up the meaning of Irony and you will see how they work. (See I am still hung up on words and word play) It must be hard to find ways to look at reality and write the opposite on every story or non-story day after weary day.
Also in one of the posts Southern Beale lists a few list-keepers all Repubs. I really had not thought of political party and McCarthyism in a while but there he is a Repub.
Really I am fairly positive that pols or their staffs have lists that build through the years but most are just memories in someone's head. Do some value their bad memories so much they write them down so they can drag them out and read them over and over while figuring ways to get even? We know of some that have done so. Are we electing children?

Now on another blog I follow, All The Things I Love, for a whole change of pace read the post on books
This post also has some beautiful photos to go with it. Anyone who knows me knows how much I appreciate books and the work that goes into each and every volume.
I am scan-reading two right now. (I generally find these days I scan rather than read whole books any more. Too much instant gratification other places, maybe.
But I still love books. They are fun to see, fun to handle, and even fun to hear.
Not only those senses are involved some books have odors,not just mold, but something inexplicable.)

I can relate to these two bloggers. They are very different in writing style and in subject matter covered. However they can both be of interest.

I am sorry to report that one of my followed bloggers had a mishap, actually sounds like more that just a mishap to me. Pat, of Pat's Poetry Musings, as you can read is "Out of Commission". Fell and messed up a typist's much needed shoulder and arm.
Get better soon.

Of course, I can always recommend you read Thomas' posts. Many varied interests and an inquiring mind he will stimulate your mind too. If you like cars, politics, candy, dogs, or just about anything; you will find something in Thomas' writings.


So here you are a partial list of blogs I follow with reasons why. Just wanted to write about a few so maybe people would find something new to enjoy.